Ellie Williams and the Teleportation Machine

CHAPTER 9 - MUSEUM

I'd had the dream again and woke up feeling drained and lifeless — there was: a light so bright, a shiny golden key with a black, velvet pouch that was tied with thin ribbons, and a familiar-looking man with bushy eyebrows, trying to pull me headfirst into a dazzling light. What did it all mean?

Keen to focus my mind on making it in time for the eleven o' clock train that morning with Eddie to London, I threw on some clothes and my jacket with a deep pocket. A delicious smell of cooked breakfast frying on the Aga cooker, drifted upstairs.

"How d' you get time this morning to put this feast together?" I said wide-eyed. A magnificent spread lay in front of me on the well-scrubbed, kitchen table.

"Oh, I have my short cuts love," mum murmured smiling. She sliced a whole load of home-baked bread and wiped her buttery hands on her pink housecoat.

"I have a research paper due next week... I need to research all day at Worthington Library today until late. I'm going with Eddie," I said. I hated lying to mum as there were no secrets in my family, but I simply had no choice.

"He's such a bright lad isn't he love? And, he's so handsome too. I want you back by nine o'clock though and Dad will pick you both up from the library, so take your mobile phone love," ordered mum. She watched me like a hawk, as I loaded up my bag with my belongings from the walnut wood cabinet that was donated by my wealthy, Uncle Barry. "Absolutely. My mobile phone is charged," I said.

As I reached the hallway, I stopped to check my face in the mirror. I wasn't totally displeased by my reflection, but I had unmistakeable, dark circles under my eyes and my eye sockets looked more sunken. I'd just shut the front door when I heard a familiar, shrilling voice shout, "Eliza! Where are you going dear at this time of the morning? Didn't your naughty and forgetful mummy tell you that we're visiting today? Never mind... Oh, that jacket looks like it's seen better days, doesn't it?" said Aunt Lavinia in a snooty voice. She fingered my fraying collar with contempt.

"Err... actually, my name is Ellie, Aunt Lavinia... not Eliza." I said, through gritted teeth. "Mum did tell me by the way, but I've got to study at the library. I'm going to be there all day in fact. I'm so sorry... I won't be able to hang out and play with cousin Rupert," I said sweetly. I bent down to greet my younger, podgy cousin, who flicked me a rude 'V' sign when his mum was craning her neck to find her husband, Uncle Barry.

"Blast! Where's that man?" snapped Aunt Lavinia. She struggled to hold an expensive, shop-bought cake and other heavy bags of sugary treats, no doubt for her son.

"Oh, NO! I have just broken a nail, AND I have just had them manicured yesterday," wailed Aunt Lavinia. She dropped all of her bags abruptly in the middle of the garden path, examined her damaged fingernail closely, and started whimpering and moaning under her breath.

I rolled my eyes when Aunt Lavinia wasn't looking. The way she spoke about my uncle, sounded as if she despised him even though they'd been married for five years and he'd agreed to raise her appalling eight-year-old son from her second marriage.

"Here, I am," said Uncle Barry. He smoothed his smart wool coat and straightened his cap. He pocketed his car remote to his Bentley, and gave me an insincere smile. "Why, if it isn't my favourite little niece, err, Eliza... come and give your old, uncle a hug, eh?" He held out his arms stiffly.

I exhaled, turned towards him and forced a smile.

"Err, actually my name is 'Ellie,' Uncle Barry... and of course," I said giving him a lightening half-hug.

"Hello, Eliza," said fat cousin Rupert. He wobbled past me and winded me in the stomach, painfully.

"Ouch! That was on purpose, Rupert!" I wailed. I rubbed my bruised stomach and hurled a look at my aunt.